Deal breakers for joining courses

[WorldHandicapSystem]

I would happily play off matts in winter to improve the course for the rest of the year.

The course and accessibility is my priority. Couldn’t really give a toss about the rest of it.

I don’t want to be indoctrinated into a club or a roll up or a swindle. I don’t want to be told to tuck my shirt in by some overly officious busy body. I just want to to be left alone to play golf.

 

[Mandofred]

You just drop me the mat down, line it up if you want, pop your ball on and off you go. No staking down, not necessary.

Where I struggled with them was it felt like the ball was a little high all the time. It was a psychological thing,

One of the reasons I use the smooth side of the cheap golf mat. I plop it on the ground....lightly stomp on it, the ball is now at grass level. But....people adjust to the ball being below or above your feet all the time....so it is just another adjustment you make while playing. It's like so many other things with golf.....the head gets in the way.

 

[BubbaP]

When the club I was at unexpectedly closed, a sizable group went to a new club which was unfortunately in the wrong direction for me (so ~30 mins), but course was okay so went along for a couple of games.
To book into a comp you had to buy stickers from a coin operated machine, and stick them on a big piece of paper on the board! It was at this point I realised that online booking was a deal breaker for me!

 

[Orikoru]

Dealbreakers for me would be..
Joining fee.
Stupid over-the-top dress code rules, or other similar outdated attitude.
Not being able to get on the course when you want to.
Course being too long, wouldn't want a 4 and a quarter hour slog every week.
More than half an hour's drive.
I would have said subs of more than 1800 a year, but at the rate my club is increasing each year, it will be north of that before long.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

If you were in my situation what would you pick ?

Tough to tell from here, I'm afraid.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Course being too long, wouldn't want a 4 and a quarter hour slog every week.

I can't believe that 4:15 for a round of golf is considered a "slog."
That's more than snappy enough for me.

 

[Orikoru]

I can't believe that 4:15 for a round of golf is considered a "slog."
That's more than snappy enough for me.

Should have said 4 and a half maybe, but at my course I go round in 3 to 3.5 most weeks which is ideal. And when I say slog I mean courses with too many really long holes where I end up hitting fairway woods all day, not as much fun for me.

 

[Backache]

Must say whereas I'd rather not pay more than I have to. If I thought I was going to be in the area for many years and the club appeared decent a joining fee wouldn't put me off.
There was one for my current club when I joined and I've now been a member over 20 years joining fee long since paid for itself In the amount of golf played which I couldn't have got at a club further away.

 

[3 jabber]

Some people have a strange attitude to joining fees. They don't seem to understand they are investing in the future of their club.

 

[rulie]

Some people have a strange attitude to joining fees. They don't seem to understand they are investing in the future of their club.

Some people can't see past the end of their nose, heaven forbid into next week!

 

[KenL]

Dealbreakers for me would be..
Joining fee.
Stupid over-the-top dress code rules, or other similar outdated attitude.
Not being able to get on the course when you want to.
Course being too long, wouldn't want a 4 and a quarter hour slog every week.
More than half an hour's drive.
I would have said subs of more than 1800 a year, but at the rate my club is increasing each year, it will be north of that before long.

Would you join a club that had £900 subs and a £900 joining fee?

 

[Mandofred]

Some people have a strange attitude to joining fees. They don't seem to understand they are investing in the future of their club.

That's ONE way of looking at joining fees. There a few other ways that aren't so "wonderful". Joining fees could be keeping people with less money away from the club since they might not be able to afford membership fees AND a joining fee....although they are getting more creative these days and letting people pay it over a few years. Joining fees also could be a deterrent to try and stop people from leaving....since if you toss that much money at a club and they keep it if you leave. There is no way to know for sure that you are going to want to stay at that club forever.

I'm a person that likes change. I've been at 3 different clubs. I didn't dislike any of the clubs...they all had their good and bad points. I've lived in several different countries and moved a time or two while living in each country....just for a change. I just moved houses this last couple of months.....no really good reason when you get down to it. I'd move to the coast if my wife would let me (she won't). Golf clubs do not like people leaving very much and joining fees are a way to try to hold on to people....in MY opinion. They don't work for me.

 

[PJ87]

That's ONE way of looking at joining fees. There a few other ways that aren't so "wonderful". Joining fees could be keeping people with less money away from the club since they might not be able to afford membership fees AND a joining fee....although they are getting more creative these days and letting people pay it over a few years. Joining fees also could be a deterrent to try and stop people from leaving....since if you toss that much money at a club and they keep it if you leave. There is no way to know for sure that you are going to want to stay at that club forever.

I'm a person that likes change. I've been at 3 different clubs. I didn't dislike any of the clubs...they all had their good and bad points. I've lived in several different countries and moved a time or two while living in each country....just for a change. I just moved houses this last couple of months.....no really good reason when you get down to it. I'd move to the coast if my wife would let me (she won't). Golf clubs do not like people leaving very much and joining fees are a way to try to hold on to people....in MY opinion. They don't work for me.

If a joining fee is upfront but subs are monthly I see it as less of a barrier than if it's all at once

Ours is like that , but when I joined the joining fee was like £60 (it's £550 now)

 

[KenL]

Clubs I know allow the jf to be paid over two years to soften the blow.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Clubs I know allow the jf to be paid over two years to soften the blow.

This and to a degree it is an insurance policy to stop nomad golfers rocking up and taking advantage of any deals and then move on to the next good deal.

 

[IanM]

Roll ups starting so early, you have to get up in the dark, is becoming a deal beaker for me.

They are also using fairway mats from 1st Nov to end Feb this year. Another reason to change.

 

[Orikoru]

Some people have a strange attitude to joining fees. They don't seem to understand they are investing in the future of their club.

And some don't understand that a lot of people can't afford to put down a massive amount of cash in the first instance.

Would you join a club that had £900 subs and a £900 joining fee?

Is there one??

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

Joining fees are fine if you are buying equity in the club and you can sell that back if you leave. Otherwise they are a mechanism to keep undesirables out.

This and to a degree it is an insurance policy to stop nomad golfers rocking up and taking advantage of any deals and then move on to the next good deal.

If golf clubs are needing deals to attract new members, maybe joining fees might have something to do with it?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Joining fees are fine if you are buying equity in the club and you can sell that back if you leave. Otherwise they are a mechanism to keep undesirables out.

If golf clubs are needing deals to attract new members, maybe joining fees might have something to do with it?

Not at all. I can think of a number of clubs including my own, which are a) full and have a waiting list and b) offering those on the waiting list deals (in our case 14 months for the price of 12 in the first year and a chance to pay the joining fee over 2 years). Another is offering half price joining fees and again has a waiting list

 

[3 jabber]

And some don't understand that a lot of people can't afford to put down a massive amount of cash in the first instance.


Is there one??

Unfortunately golf isn't a cheap sport anymore but most clubs allow you to pay the joining fee over a number of years, think it's 3 years at my club.